Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center - NMU Events and Announcements

Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

For the 24th year in a row, Northern Michigan University will present its annual Sonderegger Symposium on campus. Sponsored by a donation from the Sonderegger family, the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center, and the Center for U.P. Studies, the symposium will take place on Friday, November 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sessions will be held in the Northern Center ballrooms, and lunch will be provided. Admission is free and open to the public; no registration is necessary.

This year, Northern Michigan University celebrates its 125th anniversary, and so the theme for the Sonderegger Symposium will touch on various aspects of Northern’s past. The keynote speaker will be 1956 Northern graduate, L. Sandy MacLean, who received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Northern in 1986. A noted administrator and educator, he has been a highly respected member of the academic communities in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and St. Louis, Missouri. His contributions to his profession include frequent contributions to professional journals, presentations at national and regional conferences, and the develop­ment of innovative programs and techniques to assist universities and the students they serve. Since his graduation from Northern in 1956, he has made numerous contributions to the educational system of our country. This includes service to collegians as Director of Men's Residence Halls at the Universi­ty of Northern Iowa; Head Counselor, at Indiana University; Assistant Dean of Students, at the University of Missouri-Columbia; Dean of Students, and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at Eastern Michigan University; Dean of Students, University of Missouri-St. Louis; and, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of Missouri-St. Louis. 

Complete Event Schedule for November 8, 2024

8 a.m. - Welcome Remarks 
Leslie Warren, Dean of Library and Instructional Support

8:10 a.m. - Early Female Faculty and their influence on Northern
Daniel Truckey, Director/Curator, Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

9 a.m. - Glimmers and Reflections: Recalling nearly thirty years of NMU’s Center for Native American Studies
April Lindala, Professor, Center for Native American Studies

10 a.m. - Well-Read Wildcats: A History of the NMU Honors Program
Michael Joy and Anna Zimmer, Honors Program and the Department of Languages, Literatures, and International Studies

11 a.m. - Northern in the 1950s and Today
Sandy MacLean, 1956 NMU Grad, Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, 1986

12 p.m. - Lunch

1 p.m. - Remembering the God Father of Climbing Research
Lanae Joubert, Professor of Nutrition, School of Health and Human Performance

2 p.m. - Blood on the Table: The Fight for Shared Governance at NMU, 1967-1976
Marcus Robyns, University Archivist, Central Upper Peninsula, and Northern Michigan University Archives.

3 p.m. - African Americans at Northern
Russell Magnaghi, Professor Emeritus, History, NMU

4 p.m. - The Lyceum Series and Community Arts Series at NMU
Daniel Truckey, Director/Curator, Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center proudly announces its newest exhibition, "Northern Tapestry: 125 Years of Stories," is on display at the Beaumier Center gallery in Gries Hall. The exhibit is free and open to the public. It will be on display through February 1, 2025. The Beaumier Center's hours are Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Beaumier Center is located at the corner of Seventh Street and Tracy Avenue. 

"Northern Tapestry" celebrates the 125th anniversary of Northern Michigan University by looking at the unusual, unknown, odd and, sometimes, challenging experiences at Northern that have helped make it the university it is today. Stories will include those about early female faculty, student organizations, traditions, early African-American students and the first women athletes in the 1960s and 70s, just to name a handful. There will also be a time-line featuring the countless speakers and performers that have graced the universities many stages and lecture halls, including Louis Armstrong, Langston Hughes, Eleanor Roosevelt and many more. 

This exhibition is a work in progress. Over the coming months more research and information will be conducted and added to this exhibit as space and time allow. Visitors will also be asked for their input on the “memory tree” along one wall of the gallery. 

Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center is excited to announce a performance by the folk-jazz fusion group, American Patchwork Quartet. The performance will take place on Saturday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Forest Roberts Theatre. 

Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.nmu.edu. 
General Public - $20 adv./$22 door; NMU Students & under 18 - $10 adv./$12 door.

American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) is on a mission to reclaim the immigrant soul of American Roots Music. Comprised of four highly acclaimed artists, APQ showcases the dynamic diversity of contemporary culture by reimagining timeless songs from America's past.

American Patchwork Quartet (APQ), led by multi-Grammy award-winning guitarist/vocalist Clay Ross, binds timeless American folk songs with jazz sophistication, country twang, West African hypnotics, and East Asian ornamentation. APQ’s sound is a masterful confluence of tradition and innovation, transcending culture, politics, and ideology.

You can view videos of the group performing here.

Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

To celebrate Women’s History Month and the great accomplishments of women across the region, the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center is opening the exhibition, “Extraordinary Women of the U.P.,” on Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m. The event will take place in the Center’s gallery in Gries Hall on the campus of Northern Michigan University and is free and open to the public. 

The exhibition will be on display through August 3 and then will begin touring the Upper Peninsula in the fall of 2024. It is funded in part by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“Extraordinary Women of the U.P.” will feature the stories of no less than 60 women who made an impact in many different categories including the arts, education, politics, medicine, activism, and public service. Many were born and raised in the Upper Peninsula and others came to the region later in life, but they all share in common great accomplishments in their careers, volunteerism, and community service. Some of the women went on to have careers that have had an impact on the nation and even the world where others stayed in their hometowns and made them better communities for everyone. 

Much of the research for the exhibition was conducted by students of Dr. Emily Romeo’s women’s history course in the fall of 2023 at Northern Michigan University. Nominees were also submitted by local historical societies and private individuals.  The final list was determined by a committee consisting of: Lisa Cromell, director of the Munising School Public Library; Kathleen Long, director of the Iron County Historical Museum; Elise Nelson, director of the Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw; Dr. Emily Romeo, assistant professor of history, Northern Michigan University; Daniel Truckey, director/curator of the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center.

A short list of some of the individuals featured in the exhibition includes the pioneering accordionist Viola Turpeinen, the Anishinaabe poetess Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, medical researcher Kathleen Shingler Weston, politician Connie Berube Binsfeld, labor organizer Annie Clemenc, and many more iconic figures who have made the world a better place. Where many of the women are household names in the U.P., the community had some amazing discoveries of some lesser-known yet fantastic women, such as the civil rights activist and suffragette Blanche Williams Stubbs, daredevil wing/walker Sarah Kalishek, to an early disability advocate and publisher Nettie Steffenson Thorborg.

Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

On Friday, February 16th, the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center will be opening "Extracting History: Mining and Marquette County." This photography exhibition showcases contemporary photography by local artist Lexie Belles, historic images from Jack Deo's collection, and artifacts from the Cliff Shaft Mine Museum.

The exhibition's grand opening starts at 5:30 PM, welcoming all with hors d'oeuvres. 

"Extracting History: Mining and Marquette County" warmly invites the public to immerse themselves in this enlightening experience, running until March 1st, 2024. Visitors can explore the exhibition from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday through Friday), until 8 p.m. on Thursdays and 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.  It is free and open to the public.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center is located at the intersection of 7th Street and Tracy Ave on Northern Michigan University's campus. For further details, please contact us at 906-227-1219. 

Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

By popular demand, the Beaumier Heritage Concert Series will be bringing the Scottish folk-rock group, Skerryvore, back to Northern Michigan University. Skerryvore will be playing Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Forest Roberts Theatre. This concert is also part of the annual Winter Roots Festival, which is co-sponsored by the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center, Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, and the Ore Dock Brewing Company. Tickets for the concert are available at the Berry Center ticket office or online at nmu.universitytickets.com. 

Ticket prices: General Public - $20 advance/$22 door; NMU Students and under 18 - $10 advance/$12 door. 

What is Skerryvore? They’re like no one else. Epic of melody, intimate of feeling, and plugged into the roots of Scotland but blasting out to the world. 

Three-time winners of Scotland’s ‘Live Act of the Year’ award, Skerryvore have evolved from their humble beginnings to become one of the country’s leading forces in a thriving live music scene. At the forefront of a movement that has reinvented and reignited a traditional Scottish scene for a modern, multicultural audience, the band has brought their high-energy performances to audiences across the globe. From their early days in Scottish West Coast halls and bars to festival crowds in the USA, Canada, Australia, and throughout the UK and Europe, Skerryvore’s wide range of influences and talent produce a musically expansive, immersive yet intimate set that excites and captivates audiences.

With a mix of bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, and whistles, alongside guitar and vocals, underpinned by driving bass, drums, and keys, Skerryvore represents the best in contemporary Scottish traditional music. Their now 7 studio albums demonstrate the wide range of influences the individual musicians bring to the mix – a unique fusion of folk, trad, pop, and rock.

Three singles from the latest album ‘Tempus’, released in April 2023, all featured on the BBC Radio 2 new music playlist, and the album went to number 1 in both the Official Scottish Album and UK Folk Albums charts and entered the top 40 in the Official UK Charts. Skerryvore took their Tempus Tour to audiences across the UK, Europe, and the USA, with their unique fusion appealing to a wider mix of age groups and tastes.

“Skerryvore have crafted a world beating fusion, which takes pride in their heritage and above all else is a pure joy to listen to.” – Folk Radio UK 

“The highest rated show we have ever had on our post-concert surveys… people LOVED the show.” – Anchorage Concert Association, ALASKA 

“Such a fresh, real, new sound… I love it” – Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2 UK 

“Skerryvore has evolved to become one of Scotland’s greatest musical exports.” – Wickham Festival, ENGLAND 

Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

For the 23rd year in a row, Northern Michigan University will present its annual Sonderegger Symposium on campus. Sponsored by a donation from the Sonderegger family, the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center and Center for U.P. Studies, the symposium will take place on Friday, November 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 pm. Sessions will be held in the Northern Center ballrooms and a lunch will be provided. Admission is free and open to the public.

You can view the schedule of the presentations and the event here.

The theme of this year’s symposium is “Perspectives on 1820 and Beyond.” All of the sessions will be related to the Beaumier Center’s current exhibit, “Claiming Michigan: the 1820 Expedition of Lewis Cass.” The sessions will not only discuss the expedition and the peoples involved in the journey but also look at the long-term impacts of the expedition on the formation of the State of Michigan and the United States. 

This year’s keynote address will be given by Bryan Newland, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. Newland is a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe), where he recently completed his tenure as Tribal President. Prior to that, Bryan served as Chief Judge of the Bay Mills Tribal Court. From 2009 to 2012, he served as a Counselor and Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior – Indian Affairs. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and the Michigan State University College of Law. 

Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center

For over 30 years, public arts advocate and organizer Mary Biekkola Wright led art projects in communities across the Upper Peninsula. To commemorate her life and legacy, the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center is hosting the event, “Hats Off to Mary: a Mary Wright Reunion,” on July 8, at 2 p.m. It will be held at the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center in Gries Hall on the campus of Northern Michigan University.  Admission is free to the public and there will be snacks and light beverages served.

The Center encourages anyone who was involved in one of Mary Wright’s projects or were friends of Mary to attend this event to celebrate her life and impact on the communities of the Upper Peninsula. In addition, attendees will be able to view the Beaumier Center’s current exhibition, “Mary Biekkola Wright: A Retrospective 1986-2011.” This exhibit features dozens of artifacts from the public art projects Mary led plus photographs and information on the different projects. 

In addition to the refreshments, the event will feature speakers, a video sharing booth, music, and lots of great memories and comradery. Attendees are encouraged to wear hats in honor of Mary’s love of headwear.